The Most Luxurious DIY Body Oil to Make (Lotus Time!)

DIY and luxurious.
Yes, you read it right.
In fact, I’ve formulated this specific body oil to prove you that your natural and organic skincare products can very well be both homemade and luxurious.
Let’s see here: you’ve gone natural. You’ve gone organic. Maybe also vegan and cruelty free.
Why not step it all up and go luxurious too – and pamper yourself even more?
Because you’re worth it.
And this luxurious DIY body oil would help you see just that.
Velvety, non-greasy, moisturizing and hydrating, this unique body oil contains the essence of the legendary pink lotus flower.
You see; you’ve endured and overcome so many hurdles in life, and you’ve grown stronger. Every. Time – you ARE a lotus.
Experience your entire being blossoming upon pampering your precious self with this beautiful pink lotus body oil.

Oh, I’m so excited – I hope you are too!

Though, please let me firstly introduce you to our amazing ingredients here.

Ingredients for Pink Lotus Luxurious DIY Body Oil

1. Sunflower oil

INCI: Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil.

Since you’re here, I’m going to assume that you’re SO into the natural and organic skincare. And chances are, that you’ve seen sunflower oil on the ingredients list for too many times now. This is not a mere coincidence at all. With its very pale yellow color, very subtle nutty aroma, very light texture and non-greasy skin feel, sunflower oil is very easily one of the most versatile natural base oils to use in the world of natural and organic natural skincare formulation.

In addition to its superb versatility, sunflower oil has been found to be very beneficial for our skin. In their study, Danby and colleagues found that sunflower oil preserves stratum corneum integrity, does not cause erythema, and improves skin hydration. *You can find out a little bit more information about this amazing oil in my older post here.

Sunflower oil comes in different varieties – linoleic (high in vitamin E) and oleic (very stable). For this luxurious DIY body oil, I managed to get the very stable, high-oleic variant, with oleic acid percentage as high as 67%.

This batch of cold processed, unrefined sunflower oil was sourced from Kashmir, Northern India. The supplier claims to have adopted a sustainable practice, which uses that 1/10 harvest/plant ratio. They also educate their farmers on how to maintain soil’s health and biodiversity in the whole process. What’s also great is the fact that they provide the CoA and GC/MS analysis documentation – without me having to ask about it at all!

2. Caprylic/capric triglyceride

INCI: Caprylic/capric triglyceride.

What. Is. This. Thing – You may ask?

Although it sounds complicated and rather unnatural, Caprylic/capric triglyceride is actually derived from rich vegetable oils, which could be coconut oil or palm oil. Though to minimize the undesirable effects on our one and only mother Earth and our fellow inhabitants, I’d always go for the coconut-derived ingredients instead of their palm counterparts. In a nutshell, Caprylic/capric triglyceride is an ester.

But why would we need this ingredient at all?

First of all, the skin feel of Caprylic/ capric triglyceride differs from those of raw and/or cold pressed vegetable oils we’ve known. It feels very light, doesn’t feel greasy at all, and it has an excellent spreadability. It feels rather velvety, silky, “dry” and even “powdery” rather than oily on the skin. This distinctive texture comes from the fact that only caprylic and capric fatty acids are involved in the esterification process. That, instead of using a combination of all fatty acids present in the raw oil.

Secondly, Caprylic/capric triglyceride is colorless.
Thirdly, it’s odorless.
Fourthly, it has a relatively low molecular weight and thus viscosity. Which is one of the reasons why it is so compatible with our skin. It promotes good penetration into the skin, therefore it’s also a terrific carrier for those active ingredients.
And lastly, it is ECOCERT certified!

These superb characteristics of Caprylic/capric triglyceride make it a very versatile ingredient in the skincare formulation. It is more stable than raw plant oils, it improves the skincare product’s texture and skin feel, and it doesn’t alter the final product’s color and aroma. All in all, Caprylic/capric triglyceride is a unique emollient, which is capable of improving the efficacy of skincare products and the whole experience in using it during our skin care routine.

*However, if you rather use only raw and/or cold pressed plant oils as your base, you can substitute Caprylic/capric triglyceride with another light oil, such as sunflower oil. Please feel free to ask me should there be any doubt!

3. Calendula macerated oil

INCI: Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, Calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract.

The fact that you are here at all, says you do know a thing or two (or far more!) about macerated oil. Basically, it is a form of extraction where different parts of completely dried plant(s) are infused in a carrier oil or a mixture of carrier oils. These petals or leaves or roots or whichever parts of the plant are infused in the base oil for certain period of time. During which various therapeutic and nonvolatile aromatic oil-soluble compounds are extracted from the plant. I wrote so much more information about macerated oils in my older post – you’re very welcome to visit anytime!

In our case here, calendula flower petals were infused in organic sunflower oil. Earlier, we talked about how awesome sunflower oil is.

Let’s talk about calendula this time.

By now, I’m sure we’ve all seen calendula for so many times on the ingredients list of SO many skincare products. Particularly the ones that specifically made for young children and anyone with sensitive skin. This includes those with inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema as well as acne.

Other than its anti-inflammatory property, this vast use of calendula extract in various skincare products would also be due to its fantastic barrier-repairing property. During their study, Akhtar and colleagues found that a formulation with calendula extract in it was capable of inducing skin firmness and elasticity. In addition to that, their calendula formulation also increased skin hydration. Both of which are essential to healthy skin barrier and the prevention premature aging.

Luxurious DIY body oil: Caprylic/capric triglyceride and calendula macerated oil.

4. Kukui (candlenut) oil

INCI: Aleurites moluccana (kukui/candlenut) seed oil.

In the past few years, people have begun noticing the existence of kukui/candlenut oil. Its well-deserved popularity is based on its skin-loving properties. In their book, Len and Shirley Price listed some of kukui oil’s therapeutic properties:

Great skin penetration, thus gets absorbed so easily into the skin.
Noncomedogenic, meaning it doesn’t block skin pores.
Improves skin conditions, such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
Used for sunburn, dry and wrinkled skin.

Kukui oil also provides a semipermeable barrier that could protect newborn’s skin from the new environment they are exposed to. The oil protects the newborn’s skin from excessive chapping caused by the less humid air outside of the mother’s womb. For our skin in general, this great emollient property would allow skin to heal naturally (Ako, Fujikawa & Gray).

Here I’ve got cold pressed unrefined kukui oil which originates from a huge candlenut plantation on the Maluku islands in Indonesia. I bought the oil from the same supplier that claims to have adopted a sustainable practice. Loved the transparency too! *Referring you to previous part for more explanation – in case you missed it!

Very rich in linoleic acid (39.60%), the kukui oil is slightly pale yellow in color. It’s got mild nutty aroma and a texture which is not as light as that of sunflower oil. Although I wouldn’t consider it a “heavy” oil either.

Caprylic/capric triglyceride and calendula macerated oil.

5. Jojoba oil

INCI: Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil.

If you’ve been following my DIY recipes for a while, you’d probably have noticed how jojoba oil appears again and again in different recipes. And that’s not without reason.

Characteristically bright, golden yellow in color, jojoba oil possesses slightly sweet, very mild nutty aroma. Which is one of the reasons that makes this oil one of the most versatile ingredients to formulate with.

What’s more is jojoba oil’s exceptional stability. Literally a liquid wax, its molecular structure makes it not susceptible to oxidation, thus rancidity. In other words, jojoba oil is exceptionally stable. Which makes it a fantastic ingredient in natural and organic skincare formulation.

Again, thanks to its molecular structure, jojoba oil easily penetrates into our skin, leaving the skin smooth, moisturized and not greasy. And it’s also noncomedogenic. All of which make the oil one of the most skin-loving natural ingredients available out there. Its application ranges from sensitive and/or acneic to anti-aging skincare. *I wrote a whole lot about jojoba oil on my other post, listing the oil’s benefits on our skin.

What I use for this recipe here is organic cold pressed, virgin, unrefined jojoba oil from a plantation in Peru.

6. (Plant-derived) Squalane

INCI: Squalane.

Squalane is a result of catalytic hydrogenation of squalene, which can be found in various sources. The main source of squalene used to be shark liver oil. No worries, though, because there are now plenty of other sources of squalene, which include olive oil, sugarcane, microalgae, prokaryotes and yeast.

Both squalene and squalane are only two constituents, amongst many others, in our sebum. They both prevent moisture loss while restoring our skin’s suppleness and flexibility. The production of these skin-nurturing compounds, however, begins to slow down as we age. That’s where the topical supplementation of squalane comes into rescue.

Why only squalane? Why leaving squalene out?

The answer lies in different stabilities of these two similar-sounding compounds. Long story short, squalane would be the stable one whilst squalene is the unstable one. The stable squalane doesn’t break when exposed to high temperatures of up to 210 – 215 ^oC. It also has an incredible resistance to oxidation. These two properties alone are the things that every natural and organic skincare formulators would appreciate SO much.

The other things I love about squalane is that it’s colorless and odorless. Both of which make it a very versatile ingredient in the world of natural and organic skincare formulation. In addition to that, squalane also has an amazing spreadability, it feels velvety or silky, and it is non greasy at all. Actually, this is one strong reason why I include squalane into this luxurious DIY body oil formulation. PLUS, even my sensitive skin loves it! No redness, no breakouts, it smoothes and seems to soothe my skin. Even more, I could feel my skin more hydrated upon daily application. And I could see that dewy-looking, healthy, natural sheen across my face.

For this recipe, I managed to get the olive-derived squalane, which is also halal-certified.

*For a little bit more detailed information about squalane, you can check out my Neroli Rose Face Oil Recipe and scroll down to the squalane section.

7. Natural vitamin E

INCI: Tocopherol.

Antioxidants are essential ingredients to have for every natural and organic skincare formulator. You would find them in every skincare product that contains oil phase in it.

Why are they so important?

You might have noticed the abundance of plant oils in many natural and organic skincare products. Every carrier oil, essential oil, absolute, CO₂ extract and other oil-soluble extracts deteriorates over time. Oils that have gone bad will smell and taste weird, off, and very different from when they were newly extracted. And since at that point many of the existing therapeutic compounds are altered, these “gone-bad” oils would become less and less therapeutic.

This is why antioxidants need to be added into every natural skincare product which contains oil phase in it. By adding antioxidants, we’re actually disrupting that vicious natural cycle of oxidation. This way, we’re actually delaying the oxidation process, thus prolonging the shelf life of the oils and the final skincare product.

Natural vitamin E in the form of mixed tocopherols is a very popular antioxidant used in the natural and organic skincare formulation. What I’ve got in hands here and now is sunflower-based alpha-tocopherol-rich vitamin E which originates from India. The supplier provides me with the ingredient’s CoA, so I can show you here the vitamin E’s composition here:

Total tocopherol: ~1000 IU/g.
Fatty acid composition:
Alpha-Tocopherol: 79.10%.
D-beta-Tocopherol & D-gamma-Tocopherol: 10.05%.
D-delta-Tocopherol: 10.41%.

If you’re curious and want to know more about natural vitamin E in natural and organic skincare, I talked a little more about it on my older post. And then, if you’re ready for the next step, this would be the perfect article for you.

Mix the carrier oils and essential oils.

8. Pink lotus absolute

INCI: Nelumbo nucifera (pink lotus) flower oil.

Nelumbo nucifera lotus is a very special plant. All parts of it have been used for their medicinal purposes in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda – for ages! Since the major components in lotus are alkaloids and flavonoids, people use the whole plant as an astringent and emollient (Battaglia). They also use the plant for its flavonoids’ anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, photoprotective and depigmentation properties.

Despite all these promising uses of lotus, unfortunately, there is a lack of research on this plant and its extracts. That’s why in clinical aromatherapy, they’d rather not assign the therapeutic properties of the whole plant to the pink lotus flower (absolute) oil. Which makes sense, because different parts of plants consist of different compounds. On top of that, different extraction processes result in different types of extracts, which would contain different compounds in them.

That being said, I found one journal article that specifically talks about the effects of Nelumbo nucifera oil on our skin. In their study, Jeon and colleagues demonstrates how lotus flower essential oil may enhance melanogenesis and perform a role in the regulation of melanin content. In other words, lotus flower oil extract may potentially be useful in gray hair prevention and development of tanning reagents. Its melanin-regulating property may potentially be an effective treatment of uneven skin color conditions such as hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation.

Curious of the fragrance?

In addition to its skin benefits, pink lotus absolute possesses that sophisticated, divine, exotic, sweet, floral and a very subtle spicy aroma. It really is a fragrance that feels warm and mysterious at the same time. Experiencing the aroma of pink lotus absolute can make you feel far away from it all, yet you’d feel like you’re home. It is beautifully paradoxical.

It is particularly interesting to me that the author Candice Covington says this:

Lotus teaches us that we must pass through reach the sweet-smelling full bloom of self.

If you’ve never heard of how harsh a lotus’ journey is before it gets to bloom that majestically, read this:

Lotus flowers lead harrowing journeys. Their seeds sprout in murky swamp water, thick with dirt and debris and snarls of roots. For a lotus to bloom, she must forge her way through this terrible darkness, avoid being eaten by fish and insects, and keep pressing onward, innately knowing, or at least hoping, that there is sunlight somewhere above the water’s surface, if she can only summon the strength to get there. And when she does, she emerges unscathed by her journey and blooms triumphantly.
Sarah Jio, All the Flowers in Paris

Amazing, isn’t it?

I really hope this luxurious DIY body Oil formulation could encapsulate and bring that positive pink lotus vibe to you.

As for the pink lotus absolute I use for this recipe, it was solvent-extracted from the pink lotus flowers that grew in the tropical Kerala, southern India, India. I bought it from the same supplier that takes sustainable approach and provides their ingredients’ CoA and GC/MS analysis result.

9. Palmarosa essential oil

INCI: Cymbopogon martinii (palmarosa) leaf oil.

Palmarosa essential oil is one of those versatile aromaceuticals available in the natural and organic skincare market. It has been so, partly due to its relatively-safe characteristic. It has a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status. In his book, Robert Tisserand summarizes that there’s only a low risk of palmarosa essential oil sensitizing and/or irritating our skin. Top that with the non-phototoxicity characteristic of this oil – sounds great, right?

And oh no, we’re not done yet! A little bit further in the book, you’d find out that palmarosa essential oil contains no known carcinogens. In fact, some of its compounds, which constitute 85% of the oil, display anticarcinogenic activity. In addition to all this, a study published in 2012 confirmed palmarosa essential oil’s antioxidant activity. They demonstrated, in vitro, that the oil is effective in scavenging free radicals, thus has the potential to be powerful antioxidant. And as we all know, antioxidants are such great ingredients to be included in any anti aging skincare products. Those, and also any skincare products that aim to protect our skin from oxidative damages caused by external pollutants.

In natural perfumery…

Palmarosa essential oil serves as a mid note. As a “heart” note, palmarosa essential oil will form the body of the aroma blend. The sweet, floral, somewhat-grassy, rose-like aroma of palmarosa essential oil “connects” the top and base notes, thus making the aroma blend of this luxurious DIY body oil “whole”.

Coincidentally enough, in her book, Robbi Zeck says:

Palmarosa opens the doorway of the heart to bring love and forgiveness to traumatic events. As you explore the meaning of any betrayal with wisdom and deeper understanding, you will move towards compassionate awareness of yourself and others.

It seems to me that palmarosa is all about heart, depth and understanding. Do you think so too? Please share you experience(s) with palmarosa essential oil in the comment section below. I would like to know – I’m curious!

Anyways. Here I’ve got the palmarosa essential oil which originates from a plantation on the outskirts of India’s perfume capital Kannauj. Yes, I purchased the oil from the same supplier which we talked about earlier. The one that takes sustainable approach and provides their ingredients’ CoA and GC/MS analysis result.

Pink Lotus essential oil in luxurious DIY pink lotus body oil.

10. Neroli essential oil

INCI: Citrus aurantium (neroli) flower oil.

Neroli essential oil has always been known for its skin-rejuvenating and regenerating properties. In addition to that, the results of a study suggest that a number of biologically active compounds in neroli essential oil have significant activity against acute and particularly chronic inflammation. The results also suggest that the oil have certain effects which support the claims of its in the management of pain and inflammation. All this means that neroli essential oil would effortlessly find its place in anti-aging skincare.

In natural perfumery, neroli essential oil serves as mid to top note. This means that we could immediately observe the oil’s aroma upon application on the skin. And unlike the other top note oils whose fragrances would dissipate immediately. this oil’s volatile molecules would stay a bit longer. The uplifting sweet, somewhat green and fruity, fragrance of neroli essential oil forms both the “head” and the “heart” of the aroma blend. The aroma of neroli essential oil can be described as uplifting, rejuvenating, fresh, sweet, floral, somewhat green and fruity. This truly is a beautiful fragrance to send a smile across your face, uplift your mood and tired spirit.

In her book, Robbi Zeck says:

Neroli’s fragrance is deeply embedded in the psyche and offers a quality of emotional renewal through making different and empowered choices.

For this recipe, I purchased the neroli essential oil which originates from a mountain range in India. Again, yes, I purchased the oil from the same supplier which we talked about earlier. The one that takes sustainable approach and provides their ingredients’ CoA and GC/MS analysis result.

Pink Lotus Luxurious DIY Body Oil Recipe

Ingredients, in grams (for a 200 grams batch):

60 g caprylic/capric triglyceride
50 g calendula macerated (sunflower) oil
30 g kukui (candlenut) oil
20 g jojoba oil
18.2 g sunflower oil
16 g squalane
2 g tocopherol (natural vitamin E)
1.6 g pink lotus absolute
1.2 g palmarosa essential oil
1 g neroli essential oil

And here is the exact same recipe in percentages – so you can decide for yourself how much you need to create at any given time.

Ingredients, in percentages:

30% caprylic/capric triglyceride
25% calendula macerated (sunflower) oil
15% kukui (candlenut) oil
10% jojoba oil
9.1% sunflower oil
8% squalane
1% tocopherol (natural vitamin E)
0.8% pink lotus absolute
0.6% palmarosa essential oil
0.5% neroli essential oil

This recipe contains 0.16% linalool, 0.029% limonene, 0.53% geraniol, 0.024% citronellol, 0.013% farnesol, which naturally occur in essential oils.

Curious to know how I got to these percentages? Please feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section below!

Directions:

Weigh the caprylic/capric triglyceride in a beaker.
Weigh the calendula macerated oil in the same beaker.
Add the kukui/candlenut oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil and squalane to the same beaker.
Gently blend the base oils – the cloudy mixture will turn homogeneous and clear in no time.
Weigh the tocopherol in a small beaker.
Add pink lotus absolute, palmarosa essential oil and neroli essential oil to the same beaker.
Gently blend the mixture of natural vitamin E and essential oils.
Add the aromatic blend to the mixture of base oils.
Blend the ingredients thoroughly.
Pour the body oil into a pump bottle.
Onto the bottle, stick a label that includes the information about the body oil’s net weight, expiry date, ingredients, directions of use and directions for storage.

HOW TO USE + TIPS + CAUTION

For maximum absorption (and thus moisturizing effects), pump enough amount of Pink Lotus Body Oil and apply on the skin just after shower. This is when your skin is freshly cleansed and still damp – TEWL is still at its minimum. Hydrated skin = well-functioning skin barrier = maximum absorption.
As you see earlier, I listed all the naturally occurring allergens/sensitisers above (0.16% linalool, 0.029% limonene, 0.53% geraniol, 0.024% citronellol, 0.013% farnesol). These percentages are waaaaaaay below the recommended the dermal limits. Moreover, we’re adding vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant in this recipe. This way, the peroxides will be kept at the lowest possible level. However, avoid the use of essential oils if you know your skin is allergic to them. Please do a patch test before spreading the body oil across your skin.